Ion Audio Guitar Apprentice turns your iPad into an axe (pictures)

Ion Audio, the maker of the iCade iPad arcade machine, has crafted a full size guitar accessory that houses an iPad. It then, using apps such as GarageBand, allows you to play virtual axe tunes with the addition of real frets.

Better still, the frets themselves, when linked to the company's own accompanying application, can light up and, therefore, show the positions your fingers should be placed in order to learn certain chords, thereby making the Guitar Apprentice and your iPad into a fully-fledged tutor.

The demonstration unit Pocket-lint had a demo of at CES in Las Vegas was fully-functioning, and we're extremely impressed with its weight balance and build quality. It's much like a pro version of a Guitar Hero guitar, as released from companies like Logitech back when the rhythm games were at their height.

Coming out in the US initially, but eventually coming to the UK too, the Guitar Apprentice will retail for $99 (£64 approx.) and we'd expect it to be available through the same retailers as the iCade and other Ion products.

Incidentally, you don't have to look like David Brent from The Office to play it.

Our senior ed of news and features has been a tech and games journalist for more than 27 years, and has been with Pocket-lint for over five. Rik has edited a number of videogame magazines in the past, was deputy editor of Home Cinema Choice, and his TV career included stints as co-presenter of Channel 4's Gamesmaster and Sky One’s Games World.